Civilian Toll Soaring in Southern Afghanistan

Despite President Obama’s claims of “progress” in Afghanistan the nation’s restive south, where virtually all of the latest escalation of troops have been deployed, has continued to see soaring violence, particularly in Kandahar.

According to the latest numbers out of the Red Cross in Kandahar, the number of civilians wounded in roadside bombings has risen between 30-40 percent compared to the same months in 2009. Despite massive increases in the amount of personnel and funding the US has thrown at tackling the roadside bombs, the attacks are still rising dramatically.

These numbers are, of course, separate from the civilian toll caused by the foreign troops themselves, and while specific figures in that regard have not been released, a number of high profile attacks, like the US attack on a busload of civilians near Kandahar, seems to be on the rise as well.

The number will likely continue to rise as the June invasion of Kandahar looms. An attack today inside the city killed at least 11 people, 10 of them private security contractors, and injured at least 18 others. Two other bombings in the city earlier in the day killed at least two others and wounded 23.